Psalms 130:1

Psalm 130 ¹ 

A song of ascents. ² 

130:1 From the deep water ³  I cry out to you, O Lord.

Psalms 69:2

69:2 I sink into the deep mire

where there is no solid ground; ⁴ 

I am in ⁵  deep water,

and the current overpowers me.

Psalms 69:14

69:14 Rescue me from the mud! Don’t let me sink!

Deliver me ⁶  from those who hate me,

from the deep water!

[130:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 130. The psalmist, confident of the Lord’s forgiveness, cries out to the Lord for help in the midst of his suffering and urges Israel to do the same.

[130:1]  ² sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[130:1]  ³ tn Heb “depths,” that is, deep waters (see Ps 69:2, 14; Isa 51:10), a metaphor for the life-threatening danger faced by the psalmist.

[69:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “and there is no place to stand.”

[69:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “have entered.”

[69:14]  ⁷ tn Heb “let me be delivered.”